SashaBear
by littleladyfaberry
Summary: Bunheads. Post 1.09 No One Takes Khaleesi's Dragons. Sasha's dad is getting kicked out of the Oyster Bar and Boo has him call Sasha. Boosha with platonic Michelle/Sasha. This takes place in the same headcanon as "Possum Acquaintance" so Michelle knows about Sasha's crush.
1. Chapter 1

It was a slow night at the Oyster Bar, being a Tuesday and all. Not generally the day when dates, family outings, and bachelorette parties happen. Tuesdays are for book clubs and PTA meetings, not getting a margarita with a side of sweet potato fries at the local bar and grill. Only in rare cases did the management have to toss a drunk out at closing time on a Tuesday.

This was a rare case.

Ray Torres was sitting at the bar, his head in his hands. And he was not leaving.

"Sir," said Jeff, "I'm going to ask you one more time to go home and then I'm calling the sheriff."

Mr. Torres managed a sad-sounding chuckle.

"Gohead 'n try, son."

Frustrated at being disrespected (and at the drunk's being right), Jeff stormed into the kitchen where Boo and Godot were finishing up dishes.

"That guy's impossible!" he fumed. "I can't get him to leave! Fabio, why don't you just defenestrate him with all your big, impressive muscles?"

Godot looked bewildered.

"He wants you to throw the guy out the front widow," Boo explained.

"No can do, bro." Godot picked a soapy plate. "Got a strict no-violence policy."

"Who is it anyway? Is it someone we know?" asked Boo.

"It's that guy who's gay but won't admit it."

"Mr. Torres?"

"Sounds right."

"Oh. I'll see if I can get him to go." Boo handed Jeff her scrubber.

Her heart dropped as she saw Sasha's dad sitting dejectedly at the counter. Dejected and decidedly drunk.

"Mr. Torres?"

Ray looked up and struggled to focus on the girl in front of him.

"Izzat you, Boo?"

"Yes, Mr. Torres." She wondered what she should say next. "Mr. Torres, it's time to close up, and I would really like to go home, so if you wouldn't mind, could you leave?"

"I like you, Boo. Lot better'n that pompompousy ass who tried t'make me leave before. So I'll just grab m'keys..." Mr. Torres fumbled around in his jacket pocket.

"Wait. I don't think you should be driving. Not like... Well, not like that. Can you call someone to pick you up?"

"Ha!" His voice was bitter. "Nooope. Gotta lover who's gone gone gone, a wife who hates m'stinkin guts, and a daughter who takes after'er mom."

Boo's mind raced trying to think of someone she could call. _Charlie? No, that's just stupid thinking. Stupid, stupid Boo! Madame Fanny doesn't drive. Michelle? No, it's not fair to ask her. Plus Sasha would kill me if I called Michelle to pick up her soused dad. Sasha would kill me if I called anyone but her. She'll probably kill me anyway._

"Mr. Torres? I'm going to call Sasha." Boo thought some more. "Actually, no, you should call her. She won't be excited to get that call from you, but she'd be furious if she got it from me."

Boo took his phone from the counter and started a call to Sasha. When the phone started ringing, she handed it to him.

"Sash'-bear," he slurred, "I'muna need a ride. C'you come get me?"

Pause.  
"I know you're probababably busy, but Boo sez I probababably shouldn't drive."  
Longer pause.  
"Thanks, Sash'-bear."

"She's coming?"

"Mmmhmmmm."

"Stay here while I clean up, okay? I want to help you get to the car."

Sasha pulled up five minutes later while Boo was sweeping and Mr. Torres was humming to himself.

"Got everything?" Boo asked.

When Ray answered in the affirmative, she led him outside. They met Sasha just outside of the front door.

"Oh. I thought you were going to stay in the car."

"Obviously not." Sasha's voice was positively acidic. She pointed at her father. "You. Passenger seat. Now."

"Sasha, I don't think..."

"Did I ask what you thought?" she snapped.

"You've gotcher mom's sc...scu...frown, Sash'-bear."

"Dad, get in the stupid car!"

Boo quietly opened the door of Sasha's car for Mr. Torres when he struggled with it, hoping to avoid invoking more of Sasha's wrath.

"Boo, do you need a ride?" Sasha demanded.

"What? Um, no. I'm fine. I'll walk. Or Godot will give me a ride."

"Get in. I'll take you home."

"But..."

"Get. In."

"I have to make sure everything's finished and clock out and stuff first."

"Text me. I'll come get you."

Rather than duke it out, Boo merely nodded and shut the passenger door.

"Bye, Mr. Torres. Bye, Sasha."

"Bye, Boo!" Mr. Torres waved.

Sasha said nothing and drove off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Boo: I'm done.**

**Sasha: I'm already outside.**

"That was fast."

"I dumped my dad off and then came right back."

"Right."

Boo put her seatbelt on, trying to gauge what kind of mood her friend was in. Her face was smooth and carefully neutral, but her hands gripped the steering wheel and the gear shift a little too tightly. In regular Sasha circumstances, this would mean that she was best left alone until she did whatever she needed to cool off. If she wasn't given space, she would give everyone else hell until she got it. Which didn't apply here because she'd volunteered to pick Boo up. Boo assumed she wanted to talk. Or, more likely, vent. Vent and possibly cuss Boo out for getting involved in her business.

"Sasha..."

"Don't." Boo thought she detected a hint of a sob, but it was quickly masked by harshness. "Don't say anything. I'm dropping you off and then we're even, got it?"

"Even? For what?"

"For you not telling anyone about tonight."

"Sasha, I would never..."

"Don't pretend you're not going to text Mel and Ginny and Charlie and Carl and Godot and God knows who else as soon as you get home-"

"Sasha-bear! Just for two seconds, would you _listen_ to me?"

Sasha's BMW screeched to a halt.

"What did you just call me?" she asked icily.

"I called you Sasha-bear. Yes, I know that's what your dad calls you. Yes, I know things aren't totally awesome with him right now. But Sasha, do you know how hard it is to watch you like this? To see you lashing out at everyone and everything around you because you're hurting? I don't want you to give me a ride home because you want me to keep my mouth shut. Just _talk_ to me! Tell me what's going on in your head! I would walk home barefoot in the snow if you would just talk instead of clawing at me!"

Boo took a calming breath. "Whatever's going on, it needs to come out. You don't talk to anyone. I know you don't. You've never talked to your parents about anything ever. You could talk to Madame Fanny, she adores you, Sasha, but you'd rather break her rules and test her boundaries to see if she'll still love you when you're being impossible. You haven't really talked to Ginny and Mel since the whole bitch conversation. You could've talked to Michelle, but after she gave you that beating down, you don't want anything to do with her. I think she could really help you.

"Sasha, tell me what's going on. I've never done anything to hurt you. I want to help you so much. Let me. Please. I'm just sweet, stupid Boo. Nothing you say will leave this car and even if it did, no one would believe me."

Silence followed the girl's outburst as she tried to figure out what exactly had possessed her to push every single one of her friend's buttons. She stared at her hands in her lap, waiting for the onslaught of abuse. Sasha said and did nothing, but continued on the way to Boo's house.

"You're not," she said suddenly.

"What?"

Boo looked up in surprise to see Sasha running her fingers along the edge of the steering wheel.

"You're not stupid, Boo." Her voice was low.

Neither of them said anything for a long while. When Sasha pulled into Boo's driveway, Boo could tell intuitively that Sasha needed some sort of physical contact. A touch, a hug, something to jar her emotions loose so she could talk freely. But the brunette wouldn't ask for it and Boo knew she couldn't initiate it herself unless she wanted another dose of cold shoulder.

"Well," she spoke softly, "thanks for the ride. I'll see you tomorrow."

Without waiting for a reply, she got out of the car and headed to the doorstep.

"Boo, wait!"

Boo turned around, surprised to see Sasha jogging up to her. When she got within a foot or so, she stopped and put her hands in her pockets, staring at Boo's feet.

"I'm sorry I'm being an idiot. I want to talk to you, really I do, but I just don't know what to say."

She looked up and Boo could see pain in her brown eyes. Sasha could mold every other aspect of herself to make everyone else think she was on top of everything, but her eyes always betrayed her.

"Just say what you're feeling, Sasha-bear."

"I like you," Sasha blurted after a minute of silence.

"I'm glad to hear it."

"No, I..._like _like you. Like-"

Before Boo could even blink, Sasha's hand was on her cheek and she was staring into those pained eyes. Then she felt Sasha's lips on hers, kissing her softly, as if she was afraid Boo would break. It was different than she would've imagined. (If she'd ever imagined anything like that. Ever. Which she hadn't. At least not that she would admit to anyone, even herself.) She would've thought Sasha would be a passionate, hard kisser, the kind that left both gasping for air. Possibly a lot of unbridled tongue. But she kissed like she danced; a seemingly paradoxical balance of power and delicacy.

And then it hit her.

Sasha.

Torres.

Was.

Kissing.

Her.

Her hands came up and she pushed Sasha away.

"What the heck was that?!" she demanded, her rarely used freak-out mode engaging. "How could you...what in the...You know how I feel about Charlie, Sasha! And Carl! I may be messed up, but I'm not a lesbian!"

"Boo, I-"

"You could've at least come out of the closet first, maybe told me how you felt and why you felt it and how long you've been feeling it, instead of just kissing me like that! I've got enough drama to deal with without my best friend springing something like that on me out of nowhere!"

Without waiting for a response, Boo marched into her house without so much as a backwards glance.

She was in her room before she realized that she was shaking and her cheeks were wet.


	3. Chapter 3

Michelle was curled up on her couch watching "Wait Until Dark" when an insistent knock on the door made her jump.

"I don't have your crack-filled doll!" she cried as she leaped to her feet.

She opened the front door a crack. Sasha was standing there, hands on her hips, looking for all the world like a wrathful queen.

"Oh, hey Sasha. Can I help you?"

"I need the keys to the studio and Madame Fanny's already asleep."

"Yeah, well it is," Michelle looked at her phone, "eleven-thirty on a Tuesday. You should be in bed too, Frere Jacques."

"I need to dance. Give me the keys."

"Don't take that tone with me, missy. You can dance in your room or your kitchen like the rest of us poor dancers who didn't have the luxury of a dance studio nearby."

"Give me the keys, dammit!" Sasha exploded. "I have to dance! If I stop moving I'll start thinking and if I start thinking I'll collapse into a sobbing mess and if I start crying I'll never stop, so just open the damn studio!"

"Whoa, hey, you should've said it was an emotional crisis sooner," said Michelle, raising her hands in surrender. "Are you planning on dancing until you pass out? Because whatever it is, it's gonna catch up eventually."

"Not if I keep busy."

Michelle frowned.

"That doesn't sound real healthy. Why don't you just slow down and deal with it? Come inside and talk to me."

"Yeah, because you're so emotionally healthy. You married a man just because you were feeling hopeless about the future and your career and didn't even cry when he died. I should definitely listen to you," Sasha scoffed.

It took all the self-control Michelle had not to punch the teenage girl clear to Ojai. The kid didn't know what she was talking about. But Michelle understood Sasha. A smack or verbal cut-down would only make her smile smugly, satisfied that she'd hit a sore spot. So Michelle did what she thought would punish her most. She enveloped the young dancer in a hug.

The effect was surprising and immediate. Sasha began shaking with sobs. She cried so hard and so stormily that Michelle wondered when she had last let her emotions loose.

"I'm an idiot," she sobbed, "I'm an idiot, I'm an idiot!"

Michelle didn't consider herself a very touchy-feely, comforting, motherly type, but Sasha was so miserable that she didn't really have a choice.

"Come on," she said when Sasha's tears had slowed down. "I probably have some sort of comfort food here and we can talk, okay?"

Crying had taken all the fight out of Sasha, so she nodded and followed Michelle into the kitchen. Michelle started rummaging through cupboards and drawers and the fridge.

"Uh, I have bread. Kids like bread, right? And some instant pudding, but I don't have any milk so we can't make it. Oh! I forgot I had these Twizzlers." She tried one. "Nevermind. It's like trying to chew a tire. Jackpot! I have peanut butter chocolate swirl ice cream." She glanced at the sink. "But all my bowls and mugs are dirty. You cool with eating it straight from the carton?"

"Yeah."

"Catch."

Michelle tossed a spoon in Sasha's direction and set the ice cream down on the table.

"So." She stuck a huge spoonful in her mouth. "What's up?"

Sasha traced a design on the top of the table.

"I told Boo."

"She didn't take it so well, huh?"

"She freaked out."

"That doesn't sound like Boo."

"I kind of kissed her."

"Oh. That's...that's a huge step from admitting you like her, Sasha. What did she do?"

"She said she was messed up, but she wasn't a lesbian."

Sasha stabbed her spoon into the ice cream.

"Ouch." Michelle cringed.

"Yeah. Awesome." Sasha put the spoon down. "The whole thing just sucks. I'm an idiot. I don't know why I did it. It's just that my mom and dad got into another huge fight and dad left and I didn't know if he was ever coming back. Then Boo had him call me to pick him up because he was smashed so I did. And I drove her home and she said I needed to talk and that I could tell her anything. She's just been so nice to me even though I'm a grade-A bitch and everyone else gets it and treats me like dirt. So I wanted to tell her but she just looked so sweet and I knew I'd mess it up if I tried to put it into words, you know?"

She sighed. "But I messed it up anyway. I'm a freaking moron. I knew that she likes Charlie and that she's starting to like Carl and that she's confused about the whole thing. And now she'll never talk to me again and everyone will know I like girls and my mom will treat me like she treats my dad. If she's not screaming at him about taking an hour to blow dry and style his hair, she's ignoring him. Why doesn't he just leave her? Why does he keep trying to hang onto this stupid fairytale even though everyone knows he's gay? Is being gay really so bad that he'd rather live a lie than embrace it? Should I just pretend I'm not? Should I call Boo and tell her I was drunk and start dating some guy?"

The words rushed out of Sasha in a torrent. Michelle had never heard Sasha say so much with so little sarcasm. It was refreshing, but also scary. She felt responsible for the vulnerable girl sitting next to her.

"I don't know what to tell you," she started. "So I'm just going to try to talk through it, okay? Do you really think pretending to be straight will make you happy? Sorry I'm getting personal, but it lead to your dad getting hammered on the substandard alcohol at the Oyster Bar. Unless you want to be in the exact same position in twenty years, think hard before you decide anything for sure. You're seventeen. Figure things out first. So you like girls. That doesn't define who you are. Maybe you'll date in high school, maybe you won't. Don't sweat it."  
"What should I do about my mom? She's a total homophobe."

"Hmm. That's tricky." Michelle tapped her spoon on her nose meditatively. "Before the really big capital G gay incident with your dad, did she ever go on anti-gay tirades?"

"No, not really."

"It might be that her anger is born out of hurt. Imagine being in love with someone and starting a family with then and then all of a sudden they're cheating on you with someone of the same gender. Maybe it's not out of nowhere. Maybe you've blinded yourself to the signs. But anyway, it's sucky enough being cheated on, but when it's because you have the wrong plumbing? Suck city. You start to wonder if everything else is fake. It makes for a lot of crazy emotions and maybe even anger. You're her daughter. The relationship is different. I'm sure she'll still love you. And if she doesn't, she sucks and your dad will totally be on your side."

"You have a valid point, ancient one." Sasha gave a small smile for the first time that night and took a bite of ice cream. The smile didn't last long, though.

"Shoot, what's wrong? Don't like peanut butter?"

"No. Boo."

"How long have you known Boo?"

"Twelve years."

"Have you ever known her to hold a grudge?"

"Never."

"She might avoid you for a little bit, but I don't think she'll let it get between you for long. She cares about you too much."

"You think so?"

"Honey, I may be old, but I'm not blind. Anyway, if she wants to talk about it, do it, okay? Tell her how you feel."

"But-"

"I know, I know, it didn't go so great the first time, but now things can only get better. Then it'll be out there and she can accept it or not. It happens. I know it feels like hell now, but it'll get better. Time's awesome, like a plus seventy super healing mage."

"You're ridiculous. You know that, right?"

"What?! Ninety-seven years old and nobody bothered to tell me!"

Sasha laughed and Michelle smiled at the sound. The girl sitting there looked like a completely different creature from the one who'd banged on her door half an hour ago.

"Hey," Michelle looked Sasha in the eye, "things are gonna suck, but you can talk to me any time. I'm not the mom type, though, so it probably won't be a hundred percent reliable all the time, but I'll try. I'll be like your crazy great-aunt or something."

"How about an older sister? Then you can get away with hating me sometimes."

Michelle stuck a finger in the ice cream and then licked it off.

"Deal, sis. But that means you have to call me on my crap, too."

"Deal."

"Good. Now grab the ice cream and crash on the couch with me. I'm watching 'Wait Until Dark' and I'll pee myself if no one's around to hold my hand."

"Gross." Sasha made a face. "But I'll stick it out for Audrey Hepburn."

"I'll take it. Oh, crap. You have school tomorrow, huh?"

"Worst big sister ever."

"Well...I guess it is a special occasion. But you have to call your parents."

"They don't care, Michelle."

"Do it anyway."

Sasha rolled her eyes, but called home. No one picked up and she left a quick message.

"Happy?"

"As a clam. Now let's get to terrified peeing!"

Sasha sat down on the opposite side of the couch. Michelle tsk'd at her and held her arms open.

"Come here, sis. We don't always have to be so mushy, but I've got a feeling you need as much love as possible after your drought."

"If you tell anyone about this," Sasha said, nestling close, "I'll put another possum in your bed."

"Punk-ass kid."

"Saggy boobs."

"Wannabe."

"Has-been."

"All right, you win. Now shut up. I want to see guys getting murdered."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks so much for all your enthusiastic reviews! I don't think I would've had the motivation to continue the story without them. This one's for youse guys. :)**

Wednesday was a bad day for Boo. She didn't sleep well the night before and stumbled through all her classes at school, trying to avoid Charlie, Carl, and Sasha. When she got to ballet, it was clear that her efforts were completely wasted, however, because she had to spend the next few hours under the same roof as her crush of forever, her first kiss gone sour, and whatever Sasha was.

"Charlie's here?"

"Yeah, he's here to check out my best friend like the life-ruining vulture with a stupid haircut he is." Melanie's usual joking voice and mischievous grin had been replaced by a bitter tone and a scowl.

"Where is Ginny anyway?"

"Hell if I care. Probably putting on glittery lip gloss to distract people from how stupid she gets around him."

"Hey, guys," Ginny said as she skipped over to them. Her lips did look suspiciously shiny.

Mel stalked away to warm up on the other side of the room.

"What's up with her?"

"PMS?"

"But our cycles have been synced since we were fourteen and I'm not PMS-ing. It can't be that."

Boo considered telling Ginny that this was TMI, but the girls were so tight that it really didn't matter. She had suspected that the best friends had been on the same schedule for a while, actually.

"You don't look so good, Boo. You all right?"

"It's been a long day."

"Less flapping tongues and more arabesques!" Madame Fanny shouted.

"Did you hear that Sasha slept over at Michelle's last night?" Ginny whispered.

"Where did you hear that?" Boo's stomach gave a queer twist at the sound of Sasha's name.

"Truly told Sam who told practically everybody."

"How did Truly know?"

"She came over to have an early breakfast with Fanny or something and saw Sasha's BMW in the driveway. And Sasha was definitely not having breakfast with Fanny."

"That doesn't mean anything. She could've been practicing."

"Sasha? Doing a morning practice? You know she loves sleep more than her own mother. Besides, Truly peeked into the studio and it was empty."

"Ginny, Boo, what part of 'stop talking' do you not understand?" asked Madame Fanny from behind, startling them. "It's a relatively simple concept. You just take all the words coming out of your mouth and shove them back where they came from."

"Sorry, Madame Fanny," they mumbled.

"Now take that apology and turn it into the best dancing I've seen from either of you and then we'll see what I can do about forgiving you."

Without the tiny blonde's gossip to distract her, Boo tried in vain to think of other ways to ignore the fact that Charlie was looking her direction. She told herself that it was because she was standing behind Ginny and he was staring at her. That didn't stop her heart from pitter-pattering whenever they accidentally made eye contact, though. At least Carl wasn't throwing her reproachful, lovelorn looks. Right? She told herself that that was a good thing. As for Sasha...

Boo stole a glance at her. Perfect form. Of course. The way she moved didn't betray what she was thinking at all. Boo could tell that Carl was sad because he didn't stand as tall or bounce as high. Sasha was indecipherable. She didn't let her emotions control her body. She didn't show that Boo had mercilessly shot her down the night before.

"Eyes forward."

Or perhaps she wasn't heartbroken at all. Boo hadn't actually seen Sasha's expression after she left her on the porch. Maybe the kiss had been a joke, just one more way to express her feelings through cruelty. Not that it had been cruel. It had felt kind of nice, actually. And the only way it would've been hurt her is if Boo had felt something for Sasha in the first place. Which she hadn't. If only she could remember what she'd said to Sasha. Something about the kiss confusing things. But it hadn't really confused things, had it? Boo was straight. She had a crush on Charlie Segal and was developing feelings for Carl Cramer. Sasha kissing her was just the surreal, M. Night Shyamalan-esque topper to her bizarre love life.

"Boo, did you leave something at home?" Madame Fanny's voice once again pierced her thoughts. "The part of your brain that processes outside stimuli, perhaps? I said it's time to practice scenes from our new ballet."

Boo blushed and hurried to her spot, praying that Charlie's eyes weren't on her. She was so busy wishing that she forgot that she and Carl started from the same mark until she got there.

"Hey, Carl," she said with a timid smile.

"Hey, Boo." His gaze were fixed determinedly ahead.

The music started and Boo lost herself in learning the choreography. It was challenging without being too complicated. The steps were familiar enough even if the sequences didn't automatically mesh in her mind.

"All right, Sasha and Boo in the center for the _pas de deux_. Start with the lead up to the lift."

She'd forgotten about this bit too, which was stupid because Madame Fanny had recently started using Boo as Sasha's partner in almost everything. Normally it didn't bother her because Sasha was an exceptional dancer and weighed next to nothing, but today the thought of holding Sasha made her nervous. What if she dropped—

As if the gods of irony had heard her thoughts, she lost her grip and Sasha went sprawling to the wooden floor. The rest of the class held their breath, waiting for Sasha to explode in true diva form.

"Careful, Boo," she said in a low voice as she got up to try the lift again.

There was an almost audible sigh of relief, as well as some titters. Sasha turning up a chance to unleash a scathing comment on someone? Hopefully it wasn't too late to start buying insurance for the end of the world.

As they danced, Boo tried to get a reading on how Sasha was feeling. Her brown eyes were distant, seeing but not really seeing her partner. Eventually Boo gave up because all the deciphering was affecting her performance and she didn't want Madame Fanny to yell at her again.

"All right, class. You are dismissed."

The dancers relaxed, breaking into groups to chat or stretch. Boo, almost insane from curiosity, followed Sasha into the dressing room. She needed some confirmation that she hadn't dreamed last night, needed to hear Sasha laugh it off, so she could get on with her life.

"Hey."

"Hey." Sasha didn't so much as glance up.

"About last night..."

"What happened last night?" Ginny entered with Mel (who couldn't stay away from her best friend for long no matter how pissed she was) in tow.

"Yeah, Sasha. I heard about your sleepover with Michelle. Did she sleep in her underwear? Did _you_ sleep in your underwear?"

"Did she give you a special performance in her showgirl costume?"

"Did she tell you she's pregnant with Hubbell's child?"

"Ooh, that's a good one, Mel. Anyone want to put money on it?"

"What happened last night is none of your business," said Sasha coolly.

"I heard about your dad," said Mel.

"Yeah, I heard he was so hammered he put the moves on Godot."

"Shut up, you did not!"

"Totally did."

"Anyway, you could've slept over at my place or Mel's or Boo's if things were so bad at home. You didn't have to spend the night with someone who doesn't love you as much as we do."

"I don't think spending the night at Boo's was an option." Sasha smiled wryly, hoisted her dance bag onto her shoulder, and left the room without another word.

The girls immediately rounded on Boo.

"What did she mean by that?"

"Did her dad throw up on you?"

"Oh my gosh, did she deck you?"

Her head spinning from the barrage of questions, Boo shook them off and followed Sasha. She was determined to get some answers. The brunette was almost to her car by the time Boo caught up.

"Sasha!"

"Yeah?"

"Can we talk about it? Please?"

"Do you really want to talk about it?"

Boo hesitated. Putting into words what happened last night would make it real. It was confusing now, but somehow it seemed that if they acknowledged it they would be crossing into an unknown and frankly terrifying territory.

"I didn't think so." Sasha tossed her bag in the back seat. "I'm fine with pretending it didn't happen if you are."

"No." Boo shook her head. "It did happen and I want to know why."

"Why do you think, Boo?"

Before the kiss Sasha had said she liked Boo. Like, _like_ liked her. But that was impossible. Sasha could have her pick of anyone, boy or girl. She was pretty and smart and talented. She was going places. Boo was not. Why Sasha would have a crush on someone as mediocre as her? It was surprising that they were even friends, actually. Maybe it wasn't that Sasha liked her, but that she was bored and wanted to try something new. Sasha got bored easily and Boo seemed like the logical candidate to experiment with. She went along with almost everything. Yes, that seemed likely. It wasn't that Sasha was trying to be mean; she was just taking advantage of her friend's docile personality for entertainment purposes.

"I don't know," she said at last. "I can't figure you out."

"That's okay, I can't either. Bye, Boo."

Boo watched the car disappear and wondered for the hundredth time what was going on inside Sasha Torres.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: A little bit of Minny in this chapter. No Sasha or Michelle, but the next one will be almost exclusively Sashelle. Not sure I got Nanette quite right, but oh well. I can always come back and fix it. Again, thanks so much for your input!**

"Hi, honey, how was your day?"

"Do you remember that week when both of us had the flu and the heater broke and the cable went out and I got bit by a spider and my cheek swelled up like a balloon and you had to get your appendix out?"

"The Week from Hell in '03? Of course I do."

"It was like that." Boo slumped in the passenger seat.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Before Boo could decide whether or not to tell her mom about her Sasha drama, Nanette helped her out.

"Is it about Charlie and Carl?"

"Yes!" said Boo, relieved. "I don't know what to do, Mom. Carl likes me and is really sweet, but he's mad at me because Mel and Ginny were mean to him and I also told Ginny she couldn't date Charlie because I have feelings for him right in front of Carl... I get baby butterflies when I look at him, but I also get baby butterflies when I look at Charlie. They're not full on butterflies like they used to be, but they're still there."

"What is it you like about Charlie, Boo?" When Boo opened her mouth to defend herself, her mom held up a hand. "Hold on, sweetie, I'm not attacking you. I want to help you think through this. Boys come and go, but friends are the ones who will help you through rough break-ups. Can you blame Ginny for starting to like Charlie after you told her that he likes her? You did the same thing with Carl. You didn't even look at him before you started working on the dance. It's not bad to want to be liked. Think of how Ginny feels. Talk to her. Talk to Carl. Even if you think you know how things will turn out, you should give them the option of finding out for themselves. You should give yourself that option, too.

"Ginny doesn't need your permission to date Charlie. She's been really cool so far not to because she knows how you feel. But honey, she might date him anyway. And Carl might move on to someone else and then what? You'll be down a friend and miserable. I'm not saying it won't hurt to see Charlie and Ginny together for a while, but that's part of growing up. Do you really like Charlie so much that you'd jeopardize a good friendship and a potential relationship?"

"Yes. No. Maybe? I don't know anymore."

Nanette leaned over and kissed Boo's forehead. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. You're a smart girl. Now how about some air fries?"

"There are plenty of carrots at home, Mom," said Boo, smiling.

"Why do you think I suggested fries?" She made a face.

Boo pulled her phone out to text Ginny and found a text waiting for her.

**Ginny: You don't work today do you?**

**Boo: No. We need to talk.**

**Ginny: I was just going to say that. My place? Yours? Oyster Bar?**

**Boo: Is your place okay? I'd rather not go into work if I don't have to.**

**Ginny: Works for me! :) Should we invite Mel?**

**Boo: Of course. She's going to hear all about it anyway. She's probably reading this over your shoulder, huh?**

**Ginny: Bingo. What about Sasha?**

Boo's thumbs hovered over the keypad. What about Sasha?

**Boo: This doesn't really involve her. What do you think?**

**Ginny: Same. See you soon!**

"Okay, you first," said Ginny when they were all sitting in her room.

Boo took a breath.

"I'm sorry I've been stupid about Charlie."

"It's understandable. He's contagious."

"Mel, can we do without the snark for like five minutes?" Ginny begged.

"Fine. But I won't be happy about it," she pouted.

"Anyway, he likes you, not me. It's not fair of me to act like he's mine just because I've liked him forever. He doesn't like me and it's stupid to try to stop you two from going out. I can't promise I'll be mature about it all the time, but I promise I'll try." Boo paused, wondering what else she should say. Nothing came to mind and she shrugged. "That's all."

Ginny smiled sincerely and hugged Boo.

"Thank you! I like Charlie, but not enough to make you mad at me. This is perfect timing! He asked me on a date on Friday and I told him I'd have to think about it because I wanted to see if you were okay with it."

"You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

"We have good news for you, too," Mel said, eager to change the subject. "We felt bad about being mean to Carl-"

"-and for ruining your first kiss because he's really not that bad-"

"-even though he is kind of annoying-"

"-and short, which means something coming from _me_-"

"-so we apologized to him today after class."

"We could tell that you really do like him and we told him that we were sorry for being bitches."

"I might've implied that if he didn't give you a second chance I'd jette him in the throat," added Mel as an afterthought.

"You guys are the best!" Boo laughed. "Thank you so much!"

"But seriously, if you two get married, we're getting him some platform shoes."

"He's not that short!"

"He so is."

"He'll grow."

"We can only hope. You're better off than Ginny, you know. Carl can grow, but Charlie will always be an idiot."

Ginny threw a pillow at Mel's head, who promptly tackled her. Boo retreated to a safe distance and took her phone out to text Carl.

"What should I say?"

"How about 'Sorry I was an asshat'?" suggested Mel as she pinned her best friend to the floor.

"Something cute," panted Ginny, "like 'Be the Fred to my Ginger?'"

"Ugh, that's revolting." The tall brunette rolled her eyes.

"I think it's sweet," Ginny retorted and began tickling her attacker. Mel immediately dissolved into the giggles.

"You guys are useless." Boo sighed.

**Boo: Hey Carl. I'm really really sorry about how things went. I know I don't deserve one but can I have a do-over?**

Carl didn't respond right away, so she tried to distract herself with her Spanish homework. It worked for a little while, and then her friends started pestering her about Sasha, driving Carl out of her mind almost completely.

"Seriously, Boo, it's not like you to be so secretive."

"Secretive nothing. You're being outright cloak-and-daggery. Totally against the bra code."

"Does she have a crush on Carl?"

"Did you catch her watching Twilight?"

"Did she catch you eating a raw squirrel?"

"Oh my gosh, Ginny, I have a hilarious one."

"Let's hear it!"

"Did she confess her undying love for you and kiss you?"

Both Mel and Ginny cracked up. Boo gave a weak smile, feeling heat creeping into her cheeks. Was it really so ridiculous that it was right up there with eating squirrels? Thankfully Carl texted her back right then and she had an excuse for the blush.

**Carl: you deserve a do over and a lot more :) have dinner with me on friday? no lasagna i promise**

**Boo: Thank you! I'd love to have dinner with you. :)**

"Great," said Mel after Boo read the text out loud. "Now I'm the only one without a date on Friday."

"Sasha probably doesn't have one yet. And she won't because Boo will be taken," Ginny said with a mischievous grin.

They started laughing again, tickled to death at the thought of the moody brunette having a crush on the cheerful blonde. Boo joined in despite the fact that her stomach was churning uncomfortably. She didn't like hearing anyone make fun of Sasha, but she was afraid that if she defended her they'd figure out that their joke was reality and she wasn't ready for that. Not yet. Maybe not ever, but especially not now. For now the experience was something curious, to be taken out and examined only when the outside world couldn't interfere. If it became common knowledge Boo was afraid it would become even more muddled in her mind.

So she laughed with them and changed the subject as soon as possible, hoping to high heaven they didn't bring it up around Sasha.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thanks again for all the reviews! As promised, here's some Sashelle goodness before the finale. I might post chapter 7 before then as well, but then again I might not. It depends on how cooperative the characters feel like being.**

* * *

**Sasha: I need you to come to school asap and pretend to be my mom. WEAR SOMETHING MOM-ISH.**

Michelle read the text around 2:15 on Friday afternoon and decided, against her better judgment, to follow Sasha's instructions. Dressed in one of Fanny's old outfits, she pulled Hubbell's Cadillac into the parking lot and wandered around trying to find the front office. When she finally did, she was only a little surprised to see Sasha sitting in a chair of shame and trying to stem the flow of her bloody nose.

"Hi, I'm Mrs. Torres. I'm here because of my daughter Sasha...?" Michelle addressed the secretary in what she hoped was a convincing mom voice. It sounded slightly British.

"Ah, yes. Sit down, Mrs. Torres. I'll let Mr. Wasden know you're here."

"Why didn't you call your real mother?" she hissed when the gray-haired lady left.

"I did. She was in a meeting." Sasha sounded like she had a cold.

"What about your dad?"

"He didn't pick up. Neither of them would've come anyway."

"Punk-ass kid. What the hell-"

Her question was cut off by the return of the secretary.

"Please go on back. He's ready for you."

"Thank you." The faux Mrs. Torres smiled. "Come along, daughter dearest. Try not to bleed on the carpet."

It had been a long time since Michelle had been in a principal's office. It had been a long time she'd been in a school for that matter, except for the occasional community play. She still felt like an awkward teenager as Mr. Wasden, a weedy-looking man in his fifties, stood behind his desk and greeted them.

"Mrs. Torres? I'm Trevor Wasden." He shook her hand. "Do you know why you're here?"

"And I'm going to assume that my child did something wrong."

"I'm afraid Miss Torres assaulted another student."

"She what?"

Michelle shot Sasha a glance. The younger girl gave a slight shrug and switched tissues.

"She assaulted another student during her English class. It took a teacher and two students to pull her off."

"Why on earth...?"

"The why is not important, Mrs. Torres-"

"Please, call me Zsa-Zsa."

"Okay...Zsa-Zsa..." Mr. Wasden adjusted his glasses. "The why is not important. We have a strict no-violence policy here. Since this is Sasha's first offense, she won't be expelled or even suspended, but she will have to serve a month's worth of after-school detention as punishment."

The teenage culprit kicked her partner-in-crime's foot. Clearly this is where the parental negotiating powers came in.

"I'm afraid that won't work," said Michelle loftily. "Sasha has ballet after school every day. She can't miss one day, let alone a whole month! She's something of a star, you know."

"She should have thought of that before punching another student."

"Yes, well, you know children. I'm sure we can come to some sort of agreement, Trevor."

"Mr. Wasden."

"Mr. Wasden."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Although her afternoons are booked solid, Sasha's morning and weekend schedule is quite empty. What if," continued Michelle, ignoring the fact that Sasha was flicking her arm to convey her disapproval, "Instead of a month of after-school detention, she comes in early each day for two weeks, including Saturdays, and scrubs toilets or something?"

Mr. Wasden rubbed his jaw, considering the proposal. Sasha took the opportunity to toss one of her wadded up bloody tissues in Michelle's lap as a sign of dissension. Michelle tossed it back and mouthed "behave!"

"That seems fair," he said at last. "Do you think so, Sasha?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your punishment starts on Monday. If an incident like this happens again, you'll be suspended. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"All right, you are free to go. It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Torres."

"Likewise, Mr. Wasden."

Michelle stopped at the front desk to check Sasha out of school for the rest of the day, then steered her out to the parking lot.

"All right, kiddo, spill," she said as the doors of the Cadillac closed. "You know better than to clock people. Especially during class!"

"We were discussing _The Picture of Dorian Gray_ and one of the homophobic kids raised his hand and said he wasn't comfortable with reading something written by a gay man. I didn't say anything because touching that subject is suicidal. Then Jake Morgan, a stupid linebacker for our stupid football team who sits right next to me, said 'Let's ask Sasha what she thinks. Her dad's a fag.'" Sasha mimicked Jake's low, brutish voice. "And I told him to go screw himself and he said, 'Your dad would love to watch that, wouldn't he?' So I said if he didn't take it back, I'd make him. He thought that was pretty funny until I knocked him out of his chair with a punch to his stupid face... I kind of got carried away."

"You got in a fight with a linebacker?" Michelle was impressed despite feeling like she shouldn't condone the girl's actions. "And all you got was a bloody nose?"

"He didn't hit back," she admitted. "He flailed on the way down and knocked me pretty good, though."

"It took two students and a teacher to pry you off of him?"

"Ballerinas are tough and I was pissed as hell."

"No kidding!"

Sasha checked to see if her nose was still gushing blood. It seemed to have stopped, so she removed the tissue and wiped off the crusty remnants as best she could. Michelle started the car and pulled out into the street.

"Can I ask you something, sis?"

"Yeah, sure."

"People in Paradise talk about your dad a lot, right?"

"More than enough."

"But the principal said this was your first infraction. What made you want to go all Bruce Lee this time?"

"Well..." Sasha hesitated. "Normally Boo tells the ass-wipe to knock it off or says something to get me to calm down so I don't end up on America's Most Wanted. It's been like that since we were little. She defends me even when I'm not around. Even when I don't deserve it."

"She's not in your English class?"

"She is! That's what sucked the most." The young dancer clenched her fists and beat them against the dash. "She didn't say a single word when Jake started talking, not to me, not to him. I kept thinking that even if we were fighting, she'd still come to my rescue. She's that kind of person. But she didn't say anything. She wouldn't even look at me! When Jake said implied that all homosexuals are perverts, she didn't even raise her head." Sasha's eyes filled with tears. "And that's what she must think of me. She was okay with defending me when it was just my dad's sexuality, but now she knows I'm gay too? It hurt so much that I had to hurt someone else to be able to deal with it."

It was too much. She broke down sobbing. Michelle, her heart breaking to hear it, reached over and smoothed Sasha's hair.

"Let it out, sis," she murmured. "Let it out."

Sasha's eyes were almost dry by the time they reached Madame Fanny's studio. Even though there were cars parked all around, all the parents were inside watching their kids do wobbly _plié__s_. The two self-proclaimed sisters would be able to have some privacy.

"Gah, will I ever be able to talk to you without crying?"

"Well, maybe if I stopped prying into the deepest recesses of your soul..."

"That would be nice."

"What are you gonna do when you see Boo?"

"I don't know. Try not to punch someone else. Try not to cry."

"Try not to cry while punching someone else?"

"Pretty much."

"Just remember: Boo has always defended you even when you were a bitch. Even if you feel like screaming, be nice to her. You don't know what she was thinking."

"Is that the kind of stuff a mom's supposed to say?"

"No clue. Deb wasn't much of a philosopher. I'm just kinda making this up as I go." Michelle shrugged. "Besides, I'm not doing the mom thing, remember? I'm strictly older sister material."

"Much older sister."

"Ignoring that. Promise you'll keep the bitch under wraps at dance today?"

"I promise."

"If you need to you can come over afterward and we can jump on the bed while singing at the top of our lungs or something."

"Sounds great."

Sasha grinned and moved to get out of the car. As an afterthought, she turned back around and hugged Michelle.

"Thank you."

"Any time, Sasha. I'll do anything for you but wear this ridiculous mom suit again."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This chapter's a bit longer than the others and we get the Barl date. To be honest, Carl is almost ridiculously adorable, but I'm a Boosha shipper through and through. Thanks to Isa for the idea for chapter 6 and heroiccanvastote on Tumblr for the idea for this one. And thanks to you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

Ballet class passed without much incident. Sasha and Boo performed their _pas de deux_ flawlessly without saying a word to each other. Melanie glowered as Charlie watched Ginny from his now normal spot in the front of the room. Carl's energy was back with a vengeance and Madame Fanny had to tell him several times to tone it down before he broke something.

When they were dismissed, Carl intercepted Boo on her way to change.

"Hey, Boo." His grin lit up his entire face. "Is it okay if I pick you up here in fifteen minutes? I have to run home and get something."

"Sure, Carl." Boo returned his smile. "I can't wait to see what we're doing."

"It's going to be awesome." He winked and all but floated away.

Boo knew she should feel excited, and she did, kind of, but mostly she felt nervous. She'd never been on a date before. Would they hold hands? Would he want to kiss her goodnight? What if she couldn't think of anything to say? What if he started getting on her nerves?

She waved as Ginny and Mel drove off with Charlie, then sat down on a bench to wait anxiously for her date.

"Do you need a ride?"

Sasha's voice made her jump.

"Oh, are you done with the silent treatment?"

"Do you?" the brunette repeated, ignoring the intended jab.

"No. Carl's coming to pick me up. He's taking me on a date."

"Fine, I'll—damn!"

Boo turned around and saw that Sasha's nose had started bleeding. She felt a twinge of guilt knowing that it was probably a side-effect of the fight and that she probably could've stopped it. She didn't know why she hadn't said something when Jake started being a jerk about Mr. Torres. Besides the fact that it always set Sasha on a murderous rampage, Boo genuinely liked Ray and didn't like to hear anyone saying nasty things about him. Maybe it was that she hadn't known how Sasha would react. Her friend had been so bi-polar lately, being sweet to her one moment and biting her head off the next, that she was wary of making the situation even worse.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm peachy, freaking peachy, Boo, thanks for asking." Sasha used the sleeve of her light blue hoodie to dam the flow.

"You didn't come back after you got sent to the office. I thought it was serious."

"Michelle came and bailed me out. It'll stop bleeding in a minute."

"Oh." Boo felt an unexpected pang of jealousy knowing that Michelle had been there to help Sasha when she hadn't. "Are you going to have another sleepover with her again tonight?"

"I might. I don't have anything to do, she's perpetually bored, and I don't feel like listening to Mel complain about Charlie and Ginny til my ears bleed."

"I won't be out with Carl all night. You could come over after the date..."

"And what?" Anger flashed across Sasha's features like summer lightning. "Sit there with a smile plastered on my face while you drool over how wonderful he is? What makes you think I'd want to listen to anything you have to say after you were so damn quiet during English? Did you think I'd forget that someone I thought was my best friend wasn't there for me when I needed her most?"

Normally this sort of attack would make Boo shrink back and say whatever she could to fix it. Today, however, it just made her mad. She didn't deserve any of this.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that the great and powerful Sasha Torres needed the help of stupid little Boo. Excuse me for thinking you could handle it on your own just this once!" she snapped.

"You know I can't!" yelled Sasha, frustrated. "You of all people, Boo! You know that the 'great and powerful Sasha Torres' thing is complete bullshit. Other people know or at least suspect, but they don't do anything about it. You've always been the one to see through it and come to my rescue even when I'm being unbearable. So forgive me for being a little upset that you didn't say anything today, especially now that you know it's not just about my dad anymore!"

"Um, Boo? Ready to go?"

The girls, who had come toe-to-toe while yelling in each others' faces, whipped around to see Carl standing a few feet away holding a bouquet of flowers. Neither of them had heard him walk up.

"Coming," said Boo, shooting Sasha one last glare. She immediately regretted it when she saw the fury had been replaced with a wounded expression. She wasn't the great and powerful Sasha Bitchface Torres anymore; she was a skinny girl who was stopping a bloody nose with her sleeve and just had a huge blow-out with a friend.

"Have fun on your stupid date!" The brunette called after them as they headed to Carl's mom's minivan. Boo hoped she only imagined the vulnerability in her voice.

"What was that all about?"

"Nothing. Girl stuff. Don't worry about it."

"Okay." Carl presented the flowers to Boo with a flourish. "These are for you."

"They're beautiful," she said, burying her nose in them as he opened her door.

"So we're going back to my place to make dinner and watch a movie. Then I thought we could go for a walk on the beach. Does that sound okay?"

"It sounds perfect."

Boo smiled, but she still felt an unpleasant combination of nervousness and irritation. She was nervous because she was worried she might mess things up with Carl and irritated because starting a date after having a shouting match with a complicated friend wasn't ideal in any universe.

They chatted about this and that on the way back to the Cramer residence, where Boo met Carl's parents. Her initial panic at having an awkward lingering parent encounter on her first date was soothed when it was made clear that Mr. and Mrs. Cramer were going to be spending the evening in Oxnard.

"Don't burn down the house, dear." His mom blew a kiss.

"And behave yourself." Mr. Cramer winked suggestively.

"Leave already!" Carl rolled his eyes and led Boo to a cozy little kitchen. "I was thinking we could start with making a salad and breadsticks and then gnocchi because it's my second-best Italian dish after lasagna, which is off the menu."

"Are we going to make everything from scratch?"

"No, I made the bread dough last night. Gnocchi's really easy to whip up and so is the sauce."

"Let's do this."

He put Boo in charge of chopping vegetables for the salad and rolling out and baking the breadsticks. He eagerly got to work on the potato dumplings, peeling potatoes so vigorously that the skin got all over his cooking area. Boo put the breadsticks into the oven and they discussed school and movies and other topics of mutual interest.

"What made you want to do ballet?"

"I saw the Nutcracker when I was eight and I was hooked. It took a while to convince my dad to let me do that instead of basketball, though. I think what finally won him over was that Madame Fanny's good at helping her students get scholarships, especially the boys.

"No need to ask you how you got into it. I bet you've been dancing since you were born. I heard you tell Ginny that you've only ever wanted to be a bunhead, but that it was almost impossible because of girls like Sasha."

"Do you listen in on every conversation I have?" asked Boo without thinking.

"Not every conversation." He blushed and ducked his head. "I just pay attention, that's all. I've liked you for a really long time."

"Oh. Why?" She cringed at how stupid and insecure she sounded. "I mean...nevermind."

"It's a fair question. I like you because you're cute and a really good dancer and nice to everyone. And I really like your smile."

"Would you have ever talked to me If Madame Fanny had given Fred and Ginger to Sasha and Jordan again instead of me and you?"

"Eventually." Carl shrugged. "But we got it and I talked to you and now we're making dinner together. Lucky for us Sasha threw that tantrum, huh?"

"That's not fair. She's the better dancer, she was just having a bad day."

"You're really going to stand up for her even though she makes your life miserable?" The short dancer was incredulous. "She was yelling at you when I came to pick you up."

"You don't know her like I do. She's going through some really hard stuff."

"Yeah, a bad case of Bitch-itis."

"Can we not talk about Sasha?"

"I just don't get why you keep her around."

"If you must know, I 'keep her around' because no one else will. And even though she's sarcastic and rough, she's sweet to the few people she cares about, and everyone deserves to be loved!"

As an exclamation point at the end of her argument, the smoke detector began shrieking. Boo stood there for a second, facing Carl, trying to figure out if the ringing was in her head or if it was coming from an outside source.

"The breadsticks!" she cried as it dawned on her.

Carl pulled the baking sheet out of the oven to reveal that the long, skinny rolls had been blackened beyond recognition.

"I'm so, so sorry, Carl."

"It's okay. We'll just do without them."

Unfortunately, the burned breadsticks became a metaphor for the evening: good intentions spoiled by reality. The gnocchi turned out fantastically, but Carl spilled grape juice on Boo's shirt during dinner. The movie Carl picked out was Crazy, Stupid, Love, which the blonde was too polite to mention was her least favorite movie made in the last ten years. The parts with Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone were pretty good, but that was it. It also didn't help that she'd seen it with Ginny, Mel, and Sasha and could imagine their sarcastic comments ripping it to shreds.

As they strolled along the moonlit beach, Boo found herself getting excited that the date was almost over and immediately felt guilty. Carl had tried so hard to make everything perfect and there she was wishing it would go faster. He wouldn't think she was so nice if he could read her thoughts.

"I had a really great night, Boo," he said as he walked her to the door.

"Me too."

Carl leaned up and kissed her. It was a sweet thought and she kissed him back, but Boo couldn't help but compare it to Sasha's kiss. His technique involved too much tongue and not enough control. It was a little like kissing a dog, honestly. She started to wonder how Sasha had gotten so good. She hoped it was natural and not through experience. The idea of Sasha kissing anyone else made Boo inexplicably irritated.

"I've got to go to bed," she said, pulling away. "Thanks again for the great date."

"I'll see you around." Carl left with a huge grin.

Enough was enough. If Boo didn't get this Sasha thing sorted out soon she wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything ever again. How was she supposed to be happy with Carl if Sasha kept lurking in the back of her mind?

**Boo: We need to talk.**

**Sasha: As I very bluntly told you before, I'm not interested in listening to Carl-o-rama.**

**Boo: About us.**

**Sasha: I'll be there in five.**


	8. Chapter 8

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Invite her in, Boo!" called Mrs. Jordan from the living room.

Sasha looked at Boo questioningly and Boo stepped slightly to the side so she could come in.

"Hey, Sasha-girl."

"Hey, Netty."

"I'm a little offended that she's going to tell you all about her first date before she tells me," Nanette gave a melodramatic sigh, "but that's teenagers for you."

"You and Michelle should hang out. She's always waxing poetic about the good old days and how gosh-darn impertinent we young folks are."

"I just might."

"We're going to my room now. Don't barge in, okay, Mom?" Boo was getting impatient with the easy banter between her mom and friend. Sasha wasn't there to socialize; she was there to set things straight.

"When have I ever barged into anything?"

"Not the point. Just don't do it now."

"All right, kiddo."

Normally when they hung out at Boo's, Sasha would flop onto Boo's bed and begin complaining about how boring things were and Boo would sit next to her and listen. Now the brunette hesitated when the blonde shut the door, apparently unsure of where to go or what to do. Neither made eye contact with the other.

"How was it?" she asked, still standing.

"I thought you didn't want to hear about it."

"I never said I didn't want to hear about it. I just don't want to hear about Carl."

"Why not?"

"You know why." Sasha sank to the floor and ran her fingers over the familiar carpet. "It hurts too much."

Boo recognized the expression that came over Sasha's face. She wore it whenever she thought she had exposed too much of herself to someone.

"Don't." Boo knelt next to her and impulsively tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear. "Don't throw the wall back up. I just want to understand."

"What is there to understand? I'm gay, you're straight, I like you, you like Carl. Seems pretty simple to me."

"You said...before...that you like me. I don't understand why."

Sasha laughed softly.

"Because it surprises you when people like you even though you're the most likeable person on the planet. Because of the way you smile when you nail a performance. Because you know exactly what I'm thinking and how to deal with it. Because you're loyal and dedicated and sweet. Everything I'm not. Because, Boo, seeing you is the best part of my day and making you happy is the best feeling in the world."

Sasha spoke so sincerely and fervently that it made Boo's breath catch. She watched Sasha's expression carefully, looking for any sign of mockery, but there was none. Only the quiet pain of someone who has resigned herself to being alone.

"I know that by the rules of the great and powerful Sasha Torres I should make some snarky comment about kicking your ass if word ever gets out that I'm a lesbian and totally into you, but I think it's pretty much useless, don't you?"

"Pretty much," Boo whispered, feeling stunned at her friend's confession. She was having a hard time processing it.

"Not like you'd broadcast the fact that the town bitch has a crush on you anyway."

"Don't say that."

"It's true."

"It's not true."

"Anyway, what else did you want to talk about?"

"I don't know."

"Did I answer your question?"

"I don't know."

"Can I go then?"

"No." Boo put her hand on Sasha's to stop her from leaving. After a pause she said, "We fought about you. Carl and I. He said it was stupid of me to stand up for you because you've got a bad case of bitch-itis."

"Normally I don't think you're stupid, Boo, but I think I have to agree with your boyfriend on this one."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"He's not?"

"Well, he didn't ask me and I don't think I want to go on any more dates with him. He's sweet and charming and likes me a lot, but..."

"But what?"

"I don't know! I feel like I should like him back and be his girlfriend and everything, but every time I'm with him I think of you." Boo took a breath. "And I don't know if that makes me a lesbian too or if I'm just confused because of the kiss, but I don't want to date Carl until I've figured you and me out."

Sasha cautiously raised her head and looked into Boo's eyes.

"Do you really mean that?"

When the blonde nodded, Sasha gave a half smile and brushed her lips against Boo's hesitantly. Like the last kiss, it was slow and deliberate, as if she was afraid that moving too quickly would make it disappear altogether. But Boo didn't want sweet and slow. As soon as their lips met, something inside her broke and she wanted hot and frenzied, wanted to be as close as she could to Sasha, wanted Sasha's long, strong fingers all over her. This is what she had wanted all along but had been too scared, too insecure, to admit. She reached up and slipped her arms around Sasha's slender neck, pulling her in closer, and Sasha put her hands on Boo's hips, playing with the hem of her shirt.

They'd danced together forever, becoming familiar with the way the others' body works, but this was different. This was more intimate than dancing. This was about exploration fueled by feelings neither of them could fully comprehend yet.

Sasha slipped her hand under Boo's shirt and caressed the warm skin that met her there. Boo shivered. Feeling sexy was something she never thought she would experience, but the way she reacted when Sasha sucked on her lower lip... The quiet whimper that escaped her only spurred the brunette on, and she placed hot, open-mouthed kisses all up and down her jaw.

When they finally slowed down, Sasha gave Boo one more lingering kiss and pulled back, trying to catch her breath.

"I definitely like it better when you kiss back," she said with a shy smile.

"Me too." There was a pause. "Now what?"

"Is it awful that I don't want to think about it? I want to enjoy this," Sasha intertwined her fingers with Boo's, "and you," she kissed her forehead tenderly, "without worrying about what people will say."

"Do you want to sleep over?"

"Are you okay with that?"

Boo imagined being curled up next to Sasha all night, imagined how peaceful she'd look when she was asleep, with none of her waking cares to make her frown. She loved the thought that she could take care of her friend in some small way by letting her stay the night and live in this dream for a little while longer.

"Absolutely, Sasha-bear."

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**A/N: I struggled with this chapter forever! You know how when you look at a word for a really long time it stops looking like a real word? That's kinda what happened to me and Boosha. I tried reading Faberry fanfics to give me kiss ideas and I'm afraid I lost the tone I've been using. Hopefully it isn't too inconsistent.**

Also I'm losing my bearings as to where the story should go. Should I stop here? I never intended for it to become one of those massive, neverending fanfics. It seems like a good stopping point to me. Heroiccanvastote said I could put this story on hiatus until Bunheads comes back, which seems like a logical idea because the show itself is what kept me writing. If I do go on hiatus with "Sasha-Bear" I'll definitely keep writing one shots and other stuff.

Let me know what you think? Thanks for all of your reviews! You guys rock!


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